Governor Cuomo should veto the legislation. A new mold bill should be written that includes stiff penalties. The bill should also require training of all mold workers, photographic documentation, and third party verification that mold remediation is properly completed.

Over my desk hangs an oil portrait of President John F. Kennedy. The painting attracts many comments from visitors to my office who admire its strong resemblance to the late president. Like all good works of art, this one has a story associated with it, and it involves Governor Nelson Rockefeller.

Mayor Bloomberg hasn't shied away from this challenge, and his support has been critical to the successes we have had in reducing gun crimes. I am concerned that his departure will be a setback to our continued efforts to crack down on illegal guns.

This is the third time the Assembly has passed such a bill, with similar moratorium bills passing in 2010 and 2011, but then dying a slow death in the Senate and never reaching the governor's desk, meaning the de facto moratorium has remained in place. Could the third time be a charm in 2013 in the Empire State?

Last month both the Assembly and state Senate unanimously passed groundbreaking bipartisan legislation that will put New York at the forefront of a nationwide effort to provide health insurance coverage for people with autism.